Abstract
Fatty acids (FAs) are the main components of lipids in corals. We examined FAs profiles from five symbiotic coral species belonging to five different genera (Acropora, Pavona, Turbinaria, Favites, and Platygyra) and four different families (Acroporidae, Agariciidae, Dendrophyllidae, Faviidae). We separated symbionts from the coral host tissue to investigate the interaction of FA between symbionts and host tissue. After separation, we used FA profiles, in particular specific FAs (e.g. 16:0, 18:0, 18:3n-3, 20:5n-3, 22:6n-3) and their ratios (EPA:DHA, PUFA:SFA) as biomarkers (i.e. signature lipids) to examine chemotaxonomy and trophic level (autotrophy vs. heterotrophy) of each coral species. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was performed to identify and quantify FA. For quantification, the dry weight of total lipids was used to normalize FA concentration (μg mg−1). We found that (1) the five different coral species showed define species-specific FA profiles; (2) certain FAs were valuable biomarkers to determine relative trophic strategies (i.e. autotrophy and/or heterotrophy; (3) the application of FA ratios to define trophic level requires caution in research application and data interpretation. Considering the limitations of FA ratios determined herein, we suggest it to be more appropriate to examine response to environmental change within species. Going forward, our study provides important FA baseline data that builds the foundation for future investigations on the impact of environmental changes related to nutrition and metabolism in symbiotic corals.
Highlights
Lipids are essential macromolecules in marine organisms and source of energy (Bergé and Barnathan 2005; Lee et al 2006; Parrish 2013)
We found that 1) fatty acids (FAs) profiles and their abundance in coral host tissue and symbionts are distinct 2) our five different coral species are defined by species-specific FA profiles, 3) certain FAs are useful biomarkers to determine relative trophic strategies the application of FA ratios to define trophic level requires caution in research application and data interpretation
There was no significant difference in Total lipid (TL) of coral host tissue between A. samoensis (8.9 ± 1.4 %) and P. decussata (12.4 ± 3.9 %)
Summary
Lipids are essential macromolecules in marine organisms and source of energy (Bergé and Barnathan 2005; Lee et al 2006; Parrish 2013). Fatty acids (FAs) are the main components of lipids in most marine organism, and strongly correlated with environmental conditions (Budge et al 2006). They are transferred throughout the food web without experiencing changes in different trophic levels, which encourages their use as effective biomarkers in ecological studies (Parrish et al 2000; Alfaro et al 2006). Many studies have applied FAs as biomarkers in respect to various marine organisms such as bacteria, diatoms, dinoflagellates, plankton, macroalgae, invertebrates, fishes, and marine mammals (Rajendran et al 1993; Parrish et al 2000; Falk-Petersen et al 2002; Howell et al 2003; Bergé and Barnathan 2005; Lee et al 2006; Kelly et al 2008; Shin et al 2008; Ju et al 2011; Sardenne et al 2017)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
